Sussex to create new ‘Computing, Robotics, Electronics and Mechatronics Centre’ with £10m of funding

A new centre as part of the School of Engineering and Informatics is set to open in early 2016, and will teach students about robotics and autonomous systems.

The centre, known as CREaM (Computing, Robotics, Electronics and Mechatronics Centre) is being set up thanks to a the government’s £200m fund for STEM teaching, which as pledge £4.9 million, which has been matched by the Sussex University, bringing the total just under £10 million.

This announcement comes at a pivotal time for this area of informatics; according to the University of Sussex CREaM will allow students to work with “the latest technologies behind innovations such as auto-pilots, drones, space robotics and driverless cars”.

Included in the plans is a refurbishment of Chichester 1, a new suite of computers and new project workspaces.

The School of Engineering and Informatics has seen a 60% increase in applications for computing and engineering degrees over the last 5 years – an increase the university is hoping to capitalise on.

Sussex is one of over 70 Universities across the UK that are set to receive a share of the government’s £200 million funding for STEM subjects, which was confirmed yesterday (8th December 2014).

According to the HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England), the scheme is intended to ensure that higher education responds to the increase in demand for STEM studies by increasing the number of highly employable graduates into industry.